Mon, 8 Dec 2008, 10:08 PMCapps to Race in All-Stars Karting Classic for Third Straight Year

Courtesy of Judy StropusPhoto credit: Matt Ambroziak

CARLSBAD, Calif. --

Ron Capps in All-Stars Karting Classic '07.

For the third straight year, NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Funny Car driver Ron Capps will be competing in
the All-Stars Karting Classic during the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show at the Orange
County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday, Dec. 11.

The third annual event, organized by the Stars Of Karting in conjunction with the PRI show, will be
held on a newly redesigned seven-turn purpose-built track adjacent to the convention center and
will be covered by Fox Sports for 2009 airing. Lap times are expected to be in the 19-to-22-second
range. Admission is free to anyone with a PRI show credential.

Slated for the first week of April 2009, Fox Sports will air a half-hour television broadcast of
this year's event, with eKartingNews.com's Rob Howden as part of the on-air color commentary team.

Capps' TAG kart, with a Birel chassis, will be sponsored by NAPA AUTO PARTS, the primary sponsor on
the Funny Car he races for Don Schumacher Racing in NHRA competition.

"Man, you look down the list of who has raced every year in this event and it's some of the best
road racers in the world, whether they're Grand-Am, ALMS, Indy Car, or NASCAR drivers," says Capps,
who finished eighth in the NHRA Funny Car point standings this season.

"It's a very, very demanding event. It's pretty neat with the lights set up in the parking lot and
the grandstands right there. But it's also very bumpy. After I left the event the past two years it
took me two to three days to mend my body. When the race was over, I couldn't even move my arms.
When I saw that the other drivers who have many years of road-racing experience were feeling the
same way, it made me feel a little bit better."

There's no question Capps finds not only enjoyment but value in competing in other racing venues,
which he does regularly. "I really feel that doing all this other racing enhances my hand-to-eye
coordination," he says. "It keeps me in shape. And I think it helps the car control and the
feedback I'm able to give to my crew and crew chief Ed McCulloch in NHRA. Besides that, it's a lot
of fun. And I'm so passionate about representing NAPA not only when I'm racing the NAPA Funny Car.
I want to give them the best exposure that I possibly can at all times. So when I'm invited to do
these other races it's wonderful to be able to take NAPA AUTO PARTS into an arena where they may
not be represented. That's big for me.

"To be able to spread the word about what we do in NHRA racing is also very important to me. I
always feel like I've got the weight of the drag-racing community on my shoulders when I do these
things and it's why I'm so adamant about trying to do well and not getting in over my head."